Always Competing
by nothingbutafling
Summary: Emily and Ralph have always competed AGAINST one another...but what happens when they compete FOR each other? First ever ER (Emily + Ralph) from my old account, CardcaptorMisty R+R please!
1. Evil Third Cousin

Author's Note: Hey everyone, this is one of my first fics from my other account, CardcaptorMisty (I deleted/deleting all my fics from that account). This fic is also a edited, but not changed, version. Please don't think that I stole this fic. Anyway, I have a very….interesting imagination. I like to do fics on characters that are often overlooked. Of course, in Pokemon, a lot of characters are overlooked, but thanks to my wonderful (if not slightly insane) imagination, I like to think of little…stories for them. Well sit back, relax, and enjoy the first ever ER (Emily+Ralph) fic!

Dedication: To my ever so wonderful friend LavenderFantasy, for putting up with my insane imagination. 

Disclaimer: I can dream I own Pokemon….but I can do nothing more. Happy? 

****

~ Always Competing ~

By: MizuFaia

Emily sighed, tying a ribbon around her right ponytail. Her loyal Pokemon, Nidorina, looked up from her pillow. Finished with her hair, Emily slowly reached down to get her backpack. Petting Nidorina fondly, Emily recalled it back into its Pokeball. 

"Emily," her mother called. "Ralph's here!" 

Emily brightened, then ran down the stairs, stopping only to grab 5 other Pokeballs. "Hey Ralph!" Emily called happily to her friend.

Blushing slightly, Ralph returned the greeting, then motioned towards the door. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Always!" Emily said happily, then turned. "Bye Mom, bye Dad! See ya after school!" Emily called before shutting the door. 

"Hey, did you hear about the Orange Island Pokemon Competition?" Ralph asked after letting out his Nidorino. 

"Yeah…the one where we have to battle in partners, right?" Emily asked, eyeing her Nidorina and Ralph's Nidorino playing.

"Yep. They're starting a new group of trainers who can battle well called the Orange Elite. The Orange Elite is supposed to be a group of the best teen trainers of the Orange Islands. It's gonna have 3 girls, and 3 boys. There are three levels in the Orange Elite. Level Three is the weakest, Level Two is in-between, and Level One is the highest."

"What did you do, memorize the brochure?" Emily joked.

"Hey!" Ralph cried.

"Just kidding," Emily replied hastily. "So, wanna be partners?"

"That's what I was thinking!" Ralph said, recalling Nidorino, and heading to his first class.

"Later!" Emily called, recalling Nidorina and heading towards her first class.

Ralph headed towards the Ground Pokemon arena, daydreaming. _Maybe, if Emily and I get into the Orange Elite, we can become closer, _he thought, blushing madly. 

"Ralph!" a voice cried.

Ralph turned to see Mary Wendolph*, the most popular girl in the school. "Yeah?"

Mary caught up with Ralph. "Are you entering the Orange Island Pokemon Competition?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ralph replied cautiously. Mary was one of those people who got whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. She was super-rich, mainly because her father owned Wendolph Mines, the only mining company that mined Rare Candies.

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to enter with me. With my Pokemon, there's no way I could lose. My father gave me like 57 Rare Candies, so my Pokemon are at a really high level," Mary said confidently. 

"Why do you want to enter with me? Why don't you enter with Don?" Ralph said, naming the most popular guy in school.

"Whatever," Mary sniffed, tossing her pretty brown curls. "Everyone knows that you're the best trainer on Cobblestone Island.(Ele: I don't know what the name of the town was, so I'm naming it.) The only other trainer that comes even close to being as good as you are is that dinky dumb blonde Emily," she continued with a scornful voice. 

Letting out a sigh, Ralph rolled his eyes. It was no secret that Mary and Emily hated each other, besides the fact that they were third cousins. Mary always got what she wanted, except for winning Pokemon competitions. When they were all younger, Emily always beat out Mary in Pokemon battles or competitions. While Mary always bribed her way to the top, Emily always shot her back down in a fair Pokemon battle.

"I mean, Emily is so old-fashioned. There's no way she's even going to come close to being in the Orange Elite. I on the other hand, I have my high-leveled Pokemon and my money. Those are the only things I need," Mary boasted. "So are you entering with me or not?"

"I'm already entering with Emily. Sorry," Ralph said shortly. He quickly walked away

Narrowing her dark blue eyes, Mary stared at Ralph's retreating form. _So, my dear third cousin got Ralph. But not for long, _she thought, tossing a pretty green stone in the air. As it twinkled in the sun, a moon clearly showed inside the stone. Laughing, she walked to the Grass Pokemon arena, throwing the Moon Stone into her backpack.

****

Ele: Yikes! What does Mary have in store for Ralph? This is the first ER fic ever, but the secondary genre is Action/Adventure, so I think I'll keep everyone in suspense a little longer. Oh yeah, Moon Stones are very rare…but like I said, Mary is filthy rich, so obviously she has some. And, it's not the Moon Stone from Mt. Moon, it's the type of stone that can be only found through mining. Yeah, well that's about it. Send questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588@yahoo.com .

*- Mary Wendolph, if you're interested in knowing, has dark blue eyes and dark brown hair that curls to her shoulders. She's the only child of Lisa and Henry Wendolph, and she's loaded. Henry Wendolph owns Wendolph Mines, and his mines mine out lots of evolution stones, but mostly Rare Candies.


	2. The Choice

Disclaimer: *backs away from Ash's Pikachu* I told you, I don't own Pokemon! *pulls out a Pokeball* *Pokeball disappears* Told ya….I only own all of the Wendolphs, so there! *sticks out tongue at snotty lawyers*

****

Always Competing

Part 2

The Choice

By: MizuFaia

As 8th period got out at Cobblestone Pokemon Academy, Mary franticly searched for Ralph. "Ralph!" she yelled, seeing him get out from the Dragon Pokemon Arena.

Ralph sighed. _Here we go again, _he thought. "I'm not entering with you Mary!"

Instead of looking upset, Mary looked calm. "You know, my father's mines digs up tons of stuff," Mary stated calmly.

"Yeah, so?" Ralph asked warily.

"Do you know what this is?" Mary asked, pulling a emerald-colored stone out of her backpack.

Ralph didn't even look at it. "I know Wendolph Mines mine Rare-" he stopped, actually looking at the stone. "M-m-m-moon Stone?" he asked, gaping at the stone in Mary's hands. 

"Of course. Like I said, my father mines out a lot of stuff, which includes Moon Stones. Look Ralph, I'll make a deal with you," Mary said, switching on her let's-talk-business voice. "You enter with me, and I'll give you two Moon Stones, one for your Nidorino and one for that dinky Nidorina that Emily has. If you don't enter with me, forget about even touching another Moon Stone for the rest of your life," Mary sneered.

Ralph hesitated. He knew how badly his Nidorino wanted to be a Nidoking, and how badly Emmie's (**Ele:** Since when do you start calling her Emmie? **Ralph: **Be quiet and let me think about Mary's offer! **Ele: ***whispers in Ralph's ear* **Ralph: **Really? **Mary: **Stop interfering with my brilliant plan! **Ele: **That's my brilliant plan!) Nidorina wanted to be a Nidoqueen. He sighed in defeat. _Remember, if Nidorino and Nidorina evolve, they'll be stronger, so maybe Emmie'll get into the Orange Elite too, _his conscience said. "Ok, I'll enter with you," Ralph said slowly. 

Mary smiled wickedly, then pulled out another Moon Stone. Depositing the two evolution stones into Ralph's hands, Mary picked up her backpack and headed for home. "Bye Ralph! You won't regret this!" She called over her shoulder, tossing her pretty brown curls. 

"I'm already regretting it," Ralph muttered. 

"Regretting what?" a voice said from behind Ralph. 

Ralph spun around. "Emily! Uh, nothing at all!" he chirped, trying to hide the two Moon Stones. 

Emily narrowed her violet eyes (**Ele: **I forgot what color her eyes are, sorry. I think that they're purple…) "Why were you talking to Mary? And what are you hiding behind your ba-" Emily gasped. 

"What?"

"Where did you get those Moon Stones?"

"What Moon Stones?"

"All right, what did you pay Mary for those?"

"For what?"

"The Moon Stones."

"What about then?"

Emily gritted her teeth. Ralph was just impossible! "RALPH, TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED _NOW, _OR ELSE I'LL TELL EVERYONE YOU USED TO WET THE BED!" she shouted. 

"Here," Ralph said, shoving a Moon Stone into Emily's hand.

Emily stared at the stone, then at Ralph. He had always panicked when she threatened him, starting from after Ash, Misty, and Tracey left. "What's going on Ralph?" she asked quietly.

Hearing that his precious angel (**Ele**: I had to make it flaffy…I mean fluffy) was upset, Ralph muttered,"ItoldMaryI'denterwithherintheOrangeEliteCompetitionbecauseIknewhowmuchyourNidorinaneededtheMoonStoneandI'mreallysorrybutit'sthebestforthePokemonbye," he rushed out.

Emily stared at Ralph's retreating form, her violet eyes filling with tears. "Ralph," she whispered. 

Ralph ran on, not stopping until he reached his house. _I'm really sorry Emmie, but it's best for both of the Pokemon, _he thought sadly.

At night, as Emily got ready for bed, she glanced at the pretty stone on her dresser. It shone in the moonlight, clearly showing a crescent moon in the center. She was tempted to use it, but stopped just in time. _I'm sorry Nidorina, I just can't use it, _she thought sadly, before getting into her bed. 

Next door, Ralph stared at the Moon Stone on his dresser. _I have to use it…I paid too much for this, losing Emmie's trust. Our friendship is probably broken by now…But I can't use it, knowing how I got it. I'm sorry Nidorino. I'm sorry Emmie, _he thought, before getting into his bed.

On Brickstone Way, two lights clicked off at the exact same time. 

****

Ele: *sob* How could you do that Ralph! *Sigh* Well, chapter three is coming soon, to a fanfiction.net near you! I'm sorry if the color of Emily's eyes isn't right…I have about 50 tapes, and I don't really have the time to watch them all ^_^;;. Hmm, what else? Oh yeah, sorry for that annoying line break up there, but it took me 10 minutes to try and fix it and when I couldn't…eh whatever. Send questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588@yahoo.com . Thanks!


	3. Birthday Blues Flashback

Disclaimer: Ok people, time to use your brain skills. Why would this be a disclaimer? Ohhhh, and the light bulb is clicked on!

****

Always Competing

Chapter 3

Birthday Blues Flashback

By: Ele

Emily plopped down on a bench on Cobblestone Avenue, the main street of the town. The Orange Elite Pokemon Competition was in a week, and she still haven't found a partner yet. Sighing, Emily looked at the pretty stone that dangled around her neck. It was a Moon Stone. No, it wasn't the Moon Stone that Ralph had given her, it was the one that Mary's father had given her.

~ Flashback to a week ago ~

__

"Uncle Henry!" Emily shouted, running down the stairs.

"Emily, my favorite little niece!" Henry Wendolph (**Ele**: OK, they're not really uncle and niece, but that's what they call each other, k?) _said, eloping Emily into a tight hug._

"Hello Aunt Lisa," Emily said happily, hugging Lisa Wendolph as well.

"Hello dear, Happy Birthday!" Lisa said, hugging Emily back. 

Emily turned to Mary, who had been standing in the doorway, a smirk on her face. Emily scowled. "Hello Mary," she said politely.

"Emily," Mary acknowledged with a nod of her head. 

Obviously, Henry and Lisa sensed the hostility between the two girls, because Henry chose that moment to say, "Emily, isn't your friend Ralph coming?"

Emily's face grew pale. "He's not coming today," she said stiffly. 

Lisa coughed. "Emily dear, why don't you open your presents?" she said, motioning to the large stack of presents in the living room. 

"Sure," Emily said, forcing a smile on her face.

30 minutes later, Emily came across a small box. "It's from us," Lisa said, beaming at Emily. Emily slowly opened the small jewelry box and gasped. Inside, on a silver chain, hung a small Moon Stone.

"It's a Moon Stone," Emily said quietly.

"Well, Mary told us that you had a Nidorina, so we thought that you might like it," Lisa said nervously. "Don't you like it?"

"Of course! I love it!" Emily beamed, putting the necklace on. Then, when Lisa and Henry weren't looking, Emily shot a murderous look at Mary. How dare she trick Ralph! Emily thought.

"You know Emmie, if you ever need any evolution stones, you can always ask me," Henry said, winking at Emily. 

Mary gasped. "Dad!" she said nervously.

Henry frowned at his daughter. He didn't know where she got her snotty attitude. "Emily, did you check under the necklace when it was in the box?" he asked, ignoring his daughter. 

Emily gently picked up the box and opened it. Puzzled, she sweatdropped. "There's nothing there," she said, confused. 

Lisa laughed, then picked up the jewelry box. Lifting a secret flap up, she showed Emily what was inside. A silver chain glittered in the dim light and attached to it was a –

"Sun Stone?!" Mary screeched, standing up and glaring at her dad. "Dad, I thought you didn't find any!"

"Mary," Henry said firmly, "you sit down right now! My workers found this small Sun Stone, and I thought that Emily should have it, and that's final!"

Mary scowled. That Sun Stone is the only thing I don't have, she thought. Drat. "I'm so out of here," she said, walking out of the door.

Lisa and Henry frowned. "I'm sorry Emmie dear, I was hoping Mary would behave herself today, but I guess not. Well, we better go fetch her. Happy Birthday Emmie," Lisa said as she walked out the door.

"Well Emmie, hate to run," Harry said apologetically, "but your parents should be back soon from Mandarin Island soon. If you need anything, call me, k?" 

"Uh huh," Emily said dully. 

Emily sighed, remembering how that had been the worst birthday ever. Sure, she had gotten a mountain of presents, but she was truly alone. Looking at the 7 bags littered around her, she frowned. _Didn't I have 8 bags? _She wondered. _Oh well._ Picking up her 7 bags, she headed for home. Yet again, her parents were away. Emily wondered if she should eat dinner or skip it. While she was debating this, she wasn't watching where she was going and walked straight into someone.

"Ouch!" Emily cried, startled. She accidentally let go of her bags and they all crashed down on top of the person.

"You're saying ouch?" the person said, sitting up and rubbing his head.

Emily gasped. "Is that really you?" she asked.

****

Ele: I love cliffhangers! Well actually I love them when I'm writing them. *Sigh* Can you guess who Emily walked into? Hehe, no spoilers. You'll see in the next chapter….or will you? Ah, and the plot thickens ^_^. Yeah, so Ralph was tricked by Mary. See, Mary knew that Ralph wouldn't have taken the offer unless Nidorina could evolve too, and she also knew that her parents were going to get Emily a Moon Stone for her birthday…does that make sense? If it doesn't, e-mail me, and I'll try to clarify things with you. Send questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588@yahoo.com . 


	4. Old Friend, New Competitor

A/N: Ok, here it is, chapter four of Always Competing. Last time Emily had a very sad flashback of her birthday, and then she ran into someone. Can you guess who that person was? Well duh, you have to scroll down. So just sit back and enjoy chapter 4, and please review after. 

Disclaimer: Opps….I did it again, I made you believe that I own Pokemon, oh baby baby opps, you think I do, I'm not sent from above… I am that innocent.

Ele: Ok, the disclaimer sucked.

Always Competing

Chapter 4

Old Friend, New Competitor

By: Ele

"I'm so sorry," Emily panted, holding a glass of water.

The person took it gratefully. "You know, you've been apologizing since you ran into me till we got to your house," the person said playfully.

Emily sighed. "I was in deep thought," she said seriously.

The person frowned. "And what was that?" she/he asked.

"I was thinking whether or not I should eat dinner tonight," Emily said, with deep concentration. 

The person fell over, sweatdropping. Coughing, he straightened himself out. "It sounds as if there's something more than that," he said, in his infamous pose*.

"Yeah, but it's not that important. You see, the Orange Elite Pokemon Competition is in one week, and I don't have anyone to enter with," Emily said sadly.

"Hmm…What about Ralph?" the person asked.

"That double crossing evil and stupid and mean and loserous, idiotic traitor?" Emily said with ease, arching a eyebrow at the person.

"I guess not," the person muttered.

"He's entering with my third cousin," Emily said airily. "A real stab in the back, he is."

__

Ouch, the person thought. _That's a good reminder to remember never to get on Emily's bad side._

"Wait!" Emily screeched, snapping her fingers. "That's it!"

"What's it?" the person asked blankly.

"You can enter the Pokemon Competition with me!" Emily said triumphantly.

"Noooooo way," the person said, shaking her/his head. 

"Please," Emily pleaded, her purple eyes shining with tears. "I have to beat Ralph."

"If it means so much to you to beat Ralph, ok," the person said in defeat.

"Yay!" Emily did a little victory dance. "OK, so let's fill out the registration form. Ok, names, Emily Wendolph and…" 

~ One week later ~

"Finally, we're here! My hair got messed up on the way here," Mary complained as she got off Ralph's Pidgeot. (Ele: Remember, both Ralph and Emily caught Pidgeys when they were little) 

"I told you to keep you hair up," Ralph muttered. 

"Whatever," Mary said, fussing with her hair in a compact mirror. Catching a sight of Emily in her mirror, her jaw dropped. Shaking her head, she frowned, then put on a fake smile to conceal the rage inside her. "Emily darling, how good it is to see you!" Mary called.

Ralph turned around just to see Emily smile and walk towards them. Ralph gasped with amazement. Emily was…beautiful. _Well, that's the only word to describe it, _Ralph thought. (Ele: Radiant, gorgeous, pretty, stunning, knock-out…Ralph: Be quiet!) For the occasion, Emily had her pretty waved (Ele: Remember, she puts her hair in curlers when she sleeps) blond hair flowing free, with two silver slips holding her hair back from her face. But she still had on that dumb apron and blouse on, Mary noticed. Around her neck hung a Moon Stone, and around her wrist shone a Sun Stone. Both of the stones shimmered when Emily walked.

"Now Emily, you didn't have to come all the way out here just to wish us luck. But, of course, you're watching the competition, aren't you?" Mary asked sweetly.

"Of course I'm not. I'm in the competition, sweetie," Emily said, her voice matching Mary's fake one.

"What?" Mary spluttered. "You don't even have a partner!"

"Wrong," Emily said. "I'm meeting my partner here, so ta ta!"

Mary's mouth dropped open as she watched Emily walk off. Ralph gritted his teeth as all the boys watched Emily pass through a crowd. _I'm going to kill Emily's partner, _Ralph thought.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Orange Elite Pokemon Competition! Once all partners have checked in, please check the Board of Battles to see if you are going to battle first. There are three fields, Orange, Indigo, and Johto. The 6 winners of the three fields will then battle amongst one another to determine which Level they belong in. When you check in, the receptionist will tell you which field you will be battling on. 10 minutes before each battle, we will call you to get ready to battle. If there are any questions, please contact one of the gym leaders. Thank you, and let the competition begin!" Drake announced**.

After Mary and Ralph checked in, (They were in field Johto) they checked the Board of Battles (BOB). Mary nudged Ralph. "Emily's one of the first people to battle," she said, pointing to the part of the board that said Orange. 

Ralph scanned his eyes up. There was a picture of Emily, and below it read: Emily Wendolph, Cobblestone Island. He then read the name next to Emily's. Ralph gasped with shock. The one who was once a old friend had now become his competitor for Emily.

"Let's go," Mary said, turning around.

Ralph glanced at the board once more before turning and disappearing in the sea of people.

Next to Emily was a picture. And under the picture, it read… Tracey Sketchit.***

CCM: Did anyone guess that the mystery person was Tracey? Well, I really like Tracey. And believe me, I hated him in the beginning. But now, I like him more than Brock. Ok, well there's chapter 4. Oh, and the O.E.P.C. is like the Princess Doll competition, 'cept I have three fields instead of two. Oh, and if you think that there's not enough ER mushiness, just be patient, k? E-mail questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588@hotmail.com. Thanks!

*- Tracey's infamous pose: It's when he takes his index finger and thumb, and puts it under or on (I can't tell) his chin. Come to think of it, I think Brock does that too…

**- Drake, the Orange Island champ. The gym leaders are the ones who support the Elites. (Orange Elite, Indigo Elite, and Johto Elite) E-mail me if you don't know the gym leaders.

***- Does anyone know what island Tracey is from? If you do, e-mail me please, or else I'll make up a name. 


	5. Team Rocket's Plan

Disclaimer: I do own Pokemon. (Hahahahhaha they fell for that one! Suckers!) 

ACTUAL Disclaimer: I do**n't** own Pokemon. It would be nice if I did because I would be rolling in money and have cute little Pokemon posters and be famous. But, I don't own it.

****

~ Always Darn Competing~

~ Chapter 5 ~ 

~Team Rocket's Plan ~

By: Ele

~ Mandarin Island Headquarters ~ 

"Look at this," Cassidy said, tossing a newspaper at her partner, Butch.

The paper smacked him in his face as he was about to put a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. Wiping milk and Honey Nut Chex off the newspaper, Butch strained to see the blurry ink. " Officer Jenny gets promoted?" he asked, puzzled.

"No," Cassidy said, rolling her eyes and pulling the paper down and pointing. "There."

"Orange Elite Pokemon Competition Kicks Off," Butch read. A evil grin spread across his face. "Cassidy, this could be our ticket to being a elite member of Team Rocket!"

"Yes," Cassidy agreed, her green eyes narrowing at the Rocket members nearby that were "eating".

After dragging her to a place where there was no suspicious Rocket members, Butch sweatdropped as he watched Cassidy poke around every corner. "Cassidy, stop being so paranoid!" he said impatiently. 

"Ok, ok," Cassidy said suspiciously as she narrowed her eyes at everything that moved…such as a plant that was swaying due to a slight breeze. "Everyone knows that the Orange Elite is going to be made up of a 6 tough trainers with high-leveled Pokemon. And if we capture all the trainer's Pokemon, we'll be promoted for sure! Let's go!" (Ele: Ok, well the members in black and red are the lowest level, ex. Cassidy and Butch. The members in white and red, ex. Jessie and James, are the elite level members. And finally, the master level (higher than elite) are the members in a very pale yellow and red.)

"Yes, but if we strike early, we might get the weaker Pokemon. I say we put our Pokemon in the breeding center for a while, then wait for the announcement of who the Orange Elite's gonna be. Then, we swipe their Pokemon," Butch remarked.

"Perfect," Cassidy said, a evil smile forming on her face. 

~ Viridian City Headquarters ~ 

"Cassidy, Butch, this better be good," Giovanni boomed, stroking a beautifully evil (get it?) Persian. 

"Yes, Boss. Butch and I have come up with a wonderful idea to steal high leveled Pokemon," Cassidy answered, not afraid of her boss as Jessie and James were. 

"Well?" Giovanni asked impatiently.

"As you may know, the Orange Elite Pokemon Competition is being held on Pummelo Island now, and the final battles are being held in a couple of days. Cassidy and I propose that when they announce the winners, we swoop in and steal all the Pokemon!" Butch said proudly.

After a moment, Giovanni finally spoke. "A wonderful idea. I'll have Jessie and James start on the assignment right away, while you two take their places. You two are dismissed."

"Boss!" Cassidy and Butch cried, their mouths hanging open.

"What is it?" Giovanni asked impatiently. "I have arrangements to make."

"Since we thought of the idea, we assumed that we would be responsible for this mission," Cassidy frowned.

"You two? You two have utterly failed in 3 very costly missions. And, although Jessie and James have failed some missions-"

"That's putting it mildly," Cassidy muttered to Butch.

"- they still are elite members, and before Mission Pikachu, they have never failed me before. And they never have to ask to borrow money because the robots and such they use are from their own salaries. Oh, and Jessie has roots in Team Rocket. As for James, he was promoted in his first year. So don't you numbskulls tell me that they aren't good," Giovanni said sternly. 

"Yes Boss," the frowning duo replied. 

Giovanni paused. "However, seeing that Jessie and James will be busy with Mission Pikachu, I think that perhaps you two could do this. I'm warning you, don't fail. This is going to be very expensive, and if you two wind up in jail, don't count on me to bail you out."

"Yes sir," Butch and Cassidy said as they clicked off.

"Those two will fail," Giovanni chuckled as stroked his Persian. "And it's too bad they failed three expensive missions. I was starting to like them."

~ Mandarin Island Headquarters ~

"That was easy," Cassidy remarked.

"Yes, but we have only a few days to prepare," Butch pointed out.

"Don't worry, our Pokemon can handle it. And soon, we'll have some of the Orange Island's strongest Pokemon in our possession," Cassidy smirked.

CCMisty: Whew! Finally, chapter 5 done! Sorry it's so short! Uh oh, what does the notorious Cassidy and Botch (Butch: The name is Butch!) have in store for the Orange Elite Pokemon Competition? Hmm, maybe Mary should join Team Rocket….Don't forget, out heroes Emily, Ralph, and Tracey, are still at Pummelo Island, oblivious to Team Rocket's scheme. Stay tuned for chapter 6! E-mail questions, comments, and flames to misty102588@yahoo.com .


	6. Feelings Revealed

Disclaimer: *lands with a plop in Disclaimer Land* Where am I? *Reads a sign* Disclaimer Land? What the heck is that? *Mysterious voice: It's where you can choose or create your own disclaimers so people can't sue* Ok… then I guess I'll choose this one: If you think I own Pokemon, you belong in a insane asylum. *Mysterious voice: Paper or plastic?*  
**  
Always Competing**  
  
By: Ele  
  
Ch. 6: Feelings Revealed  


  
~ Orange Elite Quarters ~

  
"Ok guys," Drake said to the group of teenagers before him. "Here's the place you'll be staying in for the rest of your life. Make yourselves at home, and please try not to kill each other. I just had the carpet dyed white."  
  
Emily laughed with the rest of the group, but noticed that Drake was looking straight at her and Mary. As the weeks flew by in the Orange Elite Pokemon Competition (OEPC), Emily and Mary had a few nasty encounters that nearly got them suspended from the battle. She knew that Drake wasn't very trilled of the idea of her and Mary living in the same house.  
  
"Em, come on," Sarah Johnson said to her friend, nudging Emily out of her train of thought.  
  
"Coming," Emily said, picking up her bag and following Sarah into the pretty two-story house next to the Pummelo Arena. Setting her bag down gently, Emily joined Sarah on the couch in front of a 28-inch TV.  
  
"Couch potatoes," Mary said airily, flouncing past them towards the stairs.  
  
Sarah made a face at Mary. Emily giggled softly. No one really liked Mary, especially not Sarah.  
  
Sarah Johnson, with her cousin Jeramy Johnson, were the winners of the Indigo field. Sarah, with her pretty blue hair and eyes, had become a instant competitor with Mary in the looks department.  
  
Ralph came downstairs to hear Emily talking to Sarah. "…and she just bribed him! I mean, I don't care about a stupid Moon Stone, I just wanted to battle with him!" Emily said.  
  
Ralph saw Sarah shaking her head. "You know Em, you should have told Ralph earlier that you liked him."  
  
"I know, but now it's too late. He probably likes Mary now," Emily said regretfully.  
  
Ralph turned away, knowing the two girls hadn't seen him. I can't believe she likes me! He thought, suddenly furious with himself. Now I'll never get another chance…  
  
~ Upstairs, boy's room ~  
  
Ralph closed the door to the boy's room, plopped down on his bed, and buried his head into a pillow, not noticing that Jeramy and Tracey were in the room too.  
  
"Uh Ralph? You ok?" Tracey asked hesitantly.  
  
"No," Ralph's muffled voice said.  
  
"Do you need anything?" Jeramy asked.  
  
Ralph mumbled something.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, nothing."  
  
Tracey smiled slightly. He knew what Ralph had said, which only confirmed his suspicions that Ralph liked Emily._ It's so obvious that they liked each other. Too bad they're not battling together. If only something would happen that would cancel this competition, _he thought.  
  
Little did Tracey suspect, however, that Team Rocket had a plan to do that.  
  
~ TR Headquarters ~  
  
"Boss, everything's ready. We plan to strike first thing tomorrow morning," Cassidy said, standing in front of the VidPhone.  
  
"Don't. Steal the Pokemon in the third match," Giovanni said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"The competitors in the third match will have the strongest Pokemon, and that's what I want."  
  
"Yes Boss," Butch said.  
  
Giovanni chuckled to himself as he hung up. "Don't expect a bail this time."  
  
~ Next morning ~  
  
"Wake up Em!" Sarah yelled, throwing a pillow at her friend. Emily sat up sleepily and turned just as a pillow smacked her full force in the face.  
  
Sarah tried to keep a straight face as she saw Emily fell backwards off the bed. "Are you ok?" she asked. After a moments silence, Sarah turned her back and began to walk out of the room.  
  
"Ok, well I'm about to-" Sarah began to say before she got cut off by a barrage of pillows.  
  
~ Downstairs ~  
  
Emily skidded at the base of the stairs, slipped and crashed into a person. Dazed, she apologized to all 6 Ralphs.  
  
"Sorry," Emily said. "Hey, there's 6 of you!"  
  
Drake looked amused as Emily tried to stand up, only succeeding in falling down.  
  
Sarah zipped into the kitchen and slid into a seat. "I won!" she declared, eyeing the spiral-eyed Emily being helped into her seat by Ralph.  
  
"Cheater," Emily mumbled.  
  
"Now that you're all here, some tardier than others," Drake said, "eat a good breakfast. All of you will need it for today's battles. Today we'll sort you into your levels. First match is Sarah and Jeramy against Ralph and Mary. The next match is Emily and Tracey against Sarah and Jeramy. The final match is the winner of the first match against the winner of the second match. If Sarah and Jeramy win both matches, then the final match is between the losers of the 1st and 2nd matches. Any questions?"  
  
"Can we just be named as Level 1? I mean, it's obvious that we're going to be Level 1 anyway, so do we have to waste so much time?" Mary asked.  
  
Drake frowned. "Yes, we do. I'll see you all at the Pummelo Arena in a half hour. Good luck."  
  
  
  
A/N: Suspense………….Who will be Level 1? What will happen when TR strikes? Why am I so anti-Cassidy and Butch? Why do Ralph and Emily make such a good couple? Why is Microsoft Word being so screwy? I apologize for the funky spacing arrangement there….I swear, if I didn't love Microsoft Word so much (It IS the only typing program I have on my laptop)….I would have strangled it by now ^_^. I'm NOT a violent person…Send questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588@yahoo.com .


	7. Hello Team Rocket, Goodbye Tournament

Disclaimer: *Wakes up in Disclaimer Land* Oh no, not this place AGAIN! AGHHHH! *Mysterious voice: It's that time again! It's time to play, THE WEAKEST LINK!* What? I don't even like the Weakest Link! MV: How dare you insult my favorite show! ME: TOUCHY! Can I just choose a disclaimer and leave? MV: Not if you insulted my favorite show! Me: *sigh* Ok, ok, anything relating to Pokemon doesn't belong to me. I only own the Elite idea. And the Weakest Link is the best show ever......……………………………………........not  
  
MV: I HEARD THAT!

My apologizes: Once again, sorry for the screwy spacing.  
  
  
  
**ALWAYS COMPETING  
**  
BY: MizuFaia  
  
CHAPTER 7: Hello Team Rocket, Goodbye Competition  
  
~ Pummelo Arena ~  
  
"Maria, double kick!"  
  
"Marill, water gun!"  
  
Emily and Tracey watched as Maria and Marill's attacks slammed into Sarah and Jeremy's Raichu and Onix.  
  
"The battle is over!" Drake declared. "Emily and Tracey have won the match!"  
  
"Yes!" Emily squealed, whipping around and hi-fived Tracey.  
  
"Good job guys!" Jeremy called out as the platforms descended towards the ground.  
  
Emily beamed again. " Thanks! You guys were tough too!"  
  
"Yeah, for a minute there I thought that we were gonna lose," Tracey added.  
  
Sarah smiled genuinely. "Thanks guys."  
  
Ralph watched as the four group of friends walked together, laughing and comparing battle strategies. He blushed as he watched Emily toss her hair and engage in a conversation with Sarah.  
  
Mary growled silently as she watched Ralph stare at Emily. How could he fall for her when they had battled together? Although Mary didn't want to admit it, she knew she had no chance of getting Ralph. It was the only thing that irritated her, because she ALWAYS got what she wanted. And she wanted Ralph. He was polite and a good Pokemon trainer. He didn't do so bad in the looks department either  
  
As he watched Emily approach, he gave her a smile. "Great job Emmie. Good luck on the next round," he said.  
  
Emily gave him a dazzling smile. "Thanks Ralph, you too."  
  
Mary jumped in. "We won't need it," she spat out. "But you certainly will."  
  
After resting their Pokemon, Emily, Tracey, Mary, and Ralph proceeded towards the battle area, where the battle would take place. Emily and Ralph both realized, a little too late, that Tony and Maria would never battle each other.  
  
In the shadows, Cassidy and Butch were discussing when they would attack.  
  
"Let's attack now! That way we can get all of their Pokemon strong and ready for the Boss," Cassidy whispered.  
  
"No way. We should wait until they're both down to their last Pokemons. That way, their Pokemon will be weak and not ready for battle," Butch argued back.  
  
Cassidy looked surprised. "You know Butch, sometimes I think you really do have a brain."  
  
~ Battle Area ~  
  
"6 on 6, no time limit, no substitutions. Full straight-on battle. Mean eye and any Pokemon attack, regardless of what it does, is allowed. At stake is the Level 1 position of the Orange Elite. Begin!" Drake announced.  
  
Mary and Ralph sent out their Pokemon first. (A/N: The girls always sent out their Pokemon and attack first, and the first pair is usually Mary and Ralph)  
  
"Dragonair, I choose you!"  
  
"Go, Ninetales!"  
  
"Butterfree, let's get ready to battle!"  
  
"Let's go Scyther!"  
  
"Dragonair, show them why I'm the best! Wrap attack!"  
  
"Butterfree, dodge it and use Psywave!"  
  
"Ninetales, burn up that Scyther!"  
  
"Scyther, you're tougher than that! Use Rapid Spin!"  
  
~ An half hour later ~  
  
"All four trainers are down to their last Pokemons," Drake announced.  
  
Mary silently recalled her Hitmontop, frowning. Tracey's Electrode had used Self-Destruct, not only wiping out her Hitmontop and Ralph's Rapidash, but Emily's Ninetales also. It was odd that Ralph and Emily had used the exact same Pokemon, just in different rounds. Sighing, Mary threw out a Pokeball.  
  
Ralph recalled his Rapidash, his heart pounding furiously. Emily and him had already used Ninetales, Butterfree, Growlithe, Vileplume, and Sandslash. That meant that it was time to bring out their best and favorite Pokemon. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Ralph's hand tightened around the smooth Pokeball as he sent it flying through the air.  
  
Emily's mind spun as she recalled Ninetales. Unbelievably, she had managed to keep her cool during the battle, even sending Ralph a competitive gaze once in a while. Now, it was down to this. Although she was confident that she and Tracey would win, there was a nagging feeling in her brain telling her that neither team would. Shrugging it off, she sent out her last Pokemon, thankful that she could battle either Mary or Ralph's Pokemon.  
  
Tracey calmly recalled Electrode, only glancing at Emily's face for a couple of seconds. The shock of Electrode's Self Destruct was evident on both Emily and Mary's faces. Biting on his lip, he wondered why he had bothered to battle with Emily in the first place. He couldn't have a permanent place in the Orange Elite, or else all his dreams would go out the window. Allowing his thoughts to linger about becoming a great Pokemon watcher, Tracey dreamily threw the Pokeball with one of his best Pokemon.  
  
From the shadows, Cassidy and Butch watched as a Hypno, a Nidorino, a Nidorina, and a Azumarill (Marill had evolved after the battle with Sarah and Jeremy) appear. "Those are good Pokemon," Cassidy remarked.  
  
"Hypno, knock them all down! Hypnosis!"  
  
"Start things off with your Horn Drill Tony!"  
  
"Be careful Maria, they're tough! Use Swift attack on the Hypno!"  
  
"Azumarill, dodge Tony's Horn Drill and hit it with a Surf attack!"  
  
Sarah and Jeremy watched intently as the Pokemon struggled against one another's power. 

Suddenly, the stadium filled up with smoke.  
  
"Maria, return!" Emily cried, fearful of what might happen.  
  
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The stadium crackled with laughter.  
  
"Shut up Cassidy you sound like a maniac who just choked on a piece of food," a voice said distantly.  
  
As the smoke cleared, Mary, Ralph, Emily, and Tracey could see two people arguing over a net of Pokemon. Tracey's glance fell on Cassidy and Butch's faces as a memory clicked into his head. "Emily, Ralph! Watch out, it's Team Rocket!" he cried, fumbling for his Pokeball.  
  
"Too late little sketcher boy," Butch said, recognizing Tracey. "You can't stop us now!"  
  
Cassidy threw out some smoke bombs as she drew out her Hypno. "Hypno, use Teleport!" she cried hastily.  
  
"Hurry Maria, use Horn Drill!"  
  
"You little brat," Cassidy snarled.  
  
"Takes one to know one," Emily replied. "Maria, use Poison Sting!"  
  
Cassidy screeched with rage as she saw Hypno fall over, obviously poisoned. "You'll pay for this later, but for now,"  
  
"Say good-bye," Butch finished.  
  
Emily gasped as she fumbled for Maria's Pokeball.  
  
The center of the stadium exploded as Butch and Cassidy disappeared. The blast hit Emily by surprise, and as she dimly saw a piece of rubble zoom at her, she was thrown down by a person. 

As the smoke cleared, Drake called out for the four teenagers.  
  
Tracey, looking bewildered, came out first, followed by Ralph carrying Emily. "Are you all ok?" Drake questioned.  
  
"As long as Azumarill is," Tracey replied.  
  
"They're fine. It's lucky Emily was a quick thinker and stopped Hypno from teleporting. They were thrown in the stands by the blast."  
  
"I'm ok, and I think Emmie is too," Ralph said quietly.  
  
Emily stirred as she heard someone call out her name. She tried to open her eyes as she struggled to sit up from the strong arms supporting her. "I'm fine, but what about the battle?"  
  
"Well, Team Rocket pretty much destroyed the stadium. Plus, I've lost all the official records and documents needed. So I guess we need to start the Orange Elite Pokemon Competition over again. Besides, we're short a person," Drake said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Emily said sleepily, drifting off again. Suddenly, she shot up, her eyes wide.  
  
"Oh my gosh, where's Mary?!?!?!"

A/N: And the plot really does thicken this time. Don't worry dear fans, Mary doesn't die. I'm not…that cruel. Well yes I am, but Mary doesn't die. After this fic ends (which I'm rapidly calculating) after….3? 4? more chapters, I'm going to do a special chapter in Tony and Maria's POV on their ever so stubborn trainers. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. Send questions, comments, flames, whatever, to misty102588@yahoo.com .   



	8. Escape

A/N: On my CardcaptorMisty account, Always Competing had stopped after 7 chapters, BUUUTTT here's the 8th chapter! ^_^ Don't you people feel special? I'm continuing it!

Disclaimer: Me: Noooooooooooo not that scary Disclaimer Land with that scary Mysterious Voice! MV: Scary eh? Me: Er….nice! I meant nice! *runs out of Disclaimer Land and slams the door behind her* Let's see……I saved the Earth today….wrote a New York Times best-selling book….established world peace…darn and I STILL didn't manage to own Pokemon. Oh well there's always tomorrow!

****

Always Competing

Chapter 8  
Escape

Butch woke up to the frantic shaking of him by Cassidy. He squinted at her worried face. "What's up Cass?" he asked groggily.

Cassidy scowled. "That blond brat ("You're not one to talk," Butch muttered) stopped us from teleporting and we got caught in the explosion, which, by the way WASN'T supposed to happen until 10.8 seconds later! Can't you do anything right? I swear-"

Cassidy's tirade was cut off by Butch's hand. "Shhhh," he whispered. "Look at that."

Cassidy rolled her eyes and patiently allowed her eyes to wander to the spot Butch was pointing at and turned back to her dimwitted partner. "It's nice that you think that little girl is going to be of any WAIT A SECOND!"

She whipped around again and blinked. "Butch, that's Mary Wendolph," she whispered.

"Exactly," Butch smirked, crossing his arms.

"She's unconscious," Cassidy continued.

"Exactly," Butch confirmed.

A smile began to form on Cassidy's lips. "Forget those Pokemon," she told Butch. "We've hit the jackpot."

~Orange Elite Headquarters~

"Yep. Ok I understand Lance, thanks…… Ok…. Ok. Sure I'll say hi to Prima if I see her. Yup………….. Ok………. You know my Dragonite had that too but all you have to do is mix some water with the standard food and add just a pinch of salt……….Oh hey has your Dragonite ever experienced a drowsy state before? Well the other day…" Drake rambled on.

Sissy sweatdropped. "Emily, Ralph, Sarah, Jeremy, Tracey, this could…take a while," she said. "Why don't you all go and rest? It's still a little hazy out there, but once the dust and debris clear up, we can start searching for Mary right away."

Dave nodded in agreement. "The most important thing that we're concerned about this moment is you guys. Mary's a tough girl. She'll pull through."

Emily bit her lip. "I hope so," she whispered, staring out into the dust-filled arena.

Tracey gave her a sympathetic smile and pulled her into a brotherly hug.

That's not, however, as Ralph saw it.

~ In a shack somewhere on a island that I'm too lazy to name ~

Mary groggily woke up to the sound of a male and female voice arguing.

"-look, if we go right now, there's less chance we'll be caught," the female argued.

"Cass, we don't even know if the girl is alive or not!" a scratchy male's voice croaked.

"She's alive," the girl named Cass responded.

"How do you know?"

"If she has a pulse, it's usually a sign that she's alive," Cass said dryly. "Come on Butch, get that brain into gear!"

"Yeah yeah," Butch grumbled. "So are we gonna ransom her?"

"Do you have a more brilliant idea?" Cassidy asked impatiently.

"I dunno Cass, Team Rocket's never done anything along the lines of kidnapping before," Butch's voice now sounded dubious.

Mary was awake now. _Team Rocket?_ She thought to herself, panicking. _I have to get out of here! I don't want to know how badly they treat their prisoners! Ugh, I could really go for some imported Ice Cave mineral water._

Wrinkling her nose at a speck of dirt on the wooden floor, Mary calmly fingered one of her many Pokeballs. Poor Butch and Cassidy were obviously inexperienced at kidnapping, as they left the window wide open. Jumping out of the window, Mary looked around before making a run for it.

~ Pummelo Island ~  
Ralph threw another glance at Emily and Tracey. Sarah and Jeremy watched amused as his face twisted into a no doubt jealous look.

"If you're not careful, your face might freeze that way," Sarah teased playfully. When Ralph didn't respond, Sarah's expression turned serious. "Look Ralph…give Em some time. I mean, she just lost her cousin. There's absolutely no sign of Mary, and even though Mary was a bit of a…brat…family's family."

"I guess you're right," Ralph said, once again gazing at the pair. _But I can't help Tracey's a competitor just like me…for Emily's heart._

A/N: Oooooohhh! And the plot thickens! Heh, well the next chapter is going to be dedicated to Tracey and Emily's conversation, and you'll find out a lot more about their past. Stay tuned! Send questions, comments, flames, whatever to misty102588@yahoo.com. Don't forget to review! ^_~ 

PS: I'm thinking about doing another ER fic. These are fun!!


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